Latin literature — IGCSE Latin (0480) questions by topic
Identifying figures such as Aurora within a set passage, arguing how far Virgil wants sympathy for the Cyclops or how far Cicero attacked Verres personally, and translating short lines make up this Latin-literature page's 36 questions, drawn from 2023 to 2025 papers and worth between 10 and 15 marks. Analyse, translate, state, explain and how far ask for close textual argument grounded in specific lines of the studied text.
Draft your extended 'how far' response in full and submit it for instant marking to see how the scheme weighs textual detail and scanning accuracy against the strength of your overall argument.
What examiners look for
- A recurring criticism is candidates confusing Verres with Scipio when discussing personal attack, or focusing heavily on rhetorical technique without linking it back to the question.
- Examiners repeatedly note confusion between similar-looking words such as toros and tauros, or opimis and optimis, and detail about the trees was the part most frequently missed.
- Some candidates showed no knowledge of scansion, dividing lines into the wrong number of feet or using feet impossible in hexameter.
- Strong answers, according to the reports, outlined specific examples of Cicero's personal attacks before discussing the basis of his argument with named references, and gave confident, interesting renderings of words like inruimus.
- Reports praise candidates who supported points on content and style with specific quotations, such as noting enjambement or the hyperbaton of taetrum odorem, and who argued both sides of a question with textual detail.
May–June 2025, Paper 22
scio me ... petiisse penatis (lines 1-2): what do we learn about the speaker? [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Write out and scan line 1 (nam ... sepultus), marking the long and short syllables and divisions between the feet. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →'The story of the Cyclops is far more frightening than the Trojans' encounter with the Harpies.' How far do you agree with this statement about Aeneid 3 based on the extracts you…
Answer this question and get it marked →vere mehercule ... mea loqui (lines 1-2): how does Cicero give force to his words here? Make two points and support your answer with reference to the Latin. [4]
Answer this question and get it marked →quod cum ... maiorum natu (lines 1-2): how does Cicero appeal to the emotions of his listeners? Make two points and support your answer with reference to the Latin. [4]
Answer this question and get it marked →'We learn more about Cicero himself from his speeches than about Plancius and Verres.' How far do you agree with this statement based on the passages you have studied? Support…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 23
Translate lines 1-3 (hic me ... antro deseruere).
Answer this question and get it marked →cernimus astantis ... lucusve Dianae (lines 1-5): how does Virgil make this description a vivid depiction of the Cyclopes' terrible appearance? Make two points referring to the…
Answer this question and get it marked →'The supernatural beings are far more interesting than the mortals.' How far do you agree with this statement about Aeneid 3 based on the extracts you have studied? Support your…
Answer this question and get it marked →at ego ... solent esse (lines 1-3): how does Cicero show that Puteoli is a fashionable resort?
Answer this question and get it marked →hanc cum ... ostendit futurum (lines 1-4): how does Cicero make the description of Verres vivid? You should refer to both what he says and how he says it.
Answer this question and get it marked →'Cicero is such an expert in the art of public speaking that the subject matter of his speeches is unimportant to the audience.' How far do you agree with this statement based on…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 22
servatum ex ... liquere priores (lines 1-5): what do we learn about the Strophades?
Answer this question and get it marked →'Virgil wants his audience to feel only sympathy for the Cyclops.' How far do you agree with this statement based on the extracts of the Aeneid you have studied? Support your…
Answer this question and get it marked →illo tempore ... laetitia reponitur (lines 1-3): how does Cicero show the importance of the statue to the Segestans? You should refer to both what he says and how he says it.
Answer this question and get it marked →adsunt ... restituisse (lines 1-3): (i) who was the patron of the Segestans? [1] (ii) what was a patron expected to do for his clients? [1] (iii) why does Cicero mention P.…
Answer this question and get it marked →'To make his speech entertaining, Cicero ignores the terrible nature of Verres' crimes.' How far do you agree with this statement about Cicero's speech against Verres based on the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 23
servatum ex ... liquere priores (lines 1-5): what do we learn about the Strophades?
Answer this question and get it marked →'Virgil wants his audience to feel only sympathy for the Cyclops.' How far do you agree with this statement based on the extracts of the Aeneid you have studied? Support your…
Answer this question and get it marked →illo tempore ... laetitia reponitur (lines 1-3): how does Cicero show the importance of the statue to the Segestans? You should refer to both what he says and how he says it.
Answer this question and get it marked →adsunt ... restituisse (lines 1-3): (i) who was the patron of the Segestans? [1] (ii) what was a patron expected to do for his clients? [1] (iii) why does Cicero mention P.…
Answer this question and get it marked →'To make his speech entertaining, Cicero ignores the terrible nature of Verres' crimes.' How far do you agree with this statement about Cicero's speech against Verres based on the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 22
Translate lines 1-3 (inruimus ferro ... epulamur opimis).
Answer this question and get it marked →Translate lines 1-3 (accipite ergo ... maxima pando).
Answer this question and get it marked →'Full of literary techniques but without much of a plot.' How far do you agree with this statement about Aeneid 3 based on the extracts you have studied? Support your answer with…
Answer this question and get it marked →destiti stomachari ... aquas venissent (line 1): what did Cicero do after he stopped being annoyed?
Answer this question and get it marked →te nunc ... et flagito (lines 1-2): how does Cicero give force to his words here? Make two points and support your answer with reference to the relevant Latin.
Answer this question and get it marked →'When you have no basis for an argument, make a personal attack on the defendant.' How far do you agree that Cicero followed this advice in his speech against Verres based on the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 23
Translate lines 1-3 (inruimus ferro ... epulamur opimis).
Answer this question and get it marked →Translate lines 1-3 (accipite ergo ... maxima pando).
Answer this question and get it marked →'Full of literary techniques but without much of a plot.' How far do you agree with this statement about Aeneid 3 based on the extracts you have studied? Support your answer with…
Answer this question and get it marked →destiti stomachari ... aquas venissent (line 1): what did Cicero do after he stopped being annoyed?
Answer this question and get it marked →te nunc ... et flagito (lines 1-2): how does Cicero give force to his words here? Make two points and support your answer with reference to the relevant Latin.
Answer this question and get it marked →'When you have no basis for an argument, make a personal attack on the defendant.' How far do you agree that Cicero followed this advice in his speech against Verres based on the…
Answer this question and get it marked →Other IGCSE Latin topics
- Latin language (12)